Book and Lounge

In this episode, we explore whether publishers should be doing more to market their books, and how the publishing industry might better serve writers from the global South and we consider how cost, distribution and access shape who gets to read and whose stories are heard.

We also tackle the thorny question of AI and writing: can you call yourself a writer if you use AI to help create a book? We discuss the difference between brainstorming and generating prose, questions of originality and attribution, and the risk that accusations of AI use could unfairly target black writers.

Along the way, we share thoughts on the Netflix drama The Polygamist, discuss creative ways to make books more accessible, and how the publishing industry could be disrupted.

We would love to hear your thoughts on AI, book piracy and the future of publishing. Get in touch at [email protected], or find Book and Lounge on BlueSky, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Episode References

The Polygamist (Netflix series)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt42543947/

Hunger (Netflix film)

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81517155

Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams

https://candicecartywilliams.com/books/

The Other Black Girl - Zakiya Dalila Harris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1x_4dGzUZI&pp=0gcJCSsMAYcqIYzv

Malorie Blackman

https://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Things-Fall-Apart

Heinemann African Writers Series

https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/AFW/african-writers-series

A Grain of Wheat - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Grain_of_Wheat

Olga Tokarczuk

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2018/tokarczuk/facts/

Brittle Paper

https://brittlepaper.com/

OkayAfrica

https://www.okayafrica.com/

Masobe Books

https://masobebooks.com/

Bound to Violence - Yambo Ouologuem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONnzsFNRXvQ

Yambo Ouologuem

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yambo-Ouologuem

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/

In this episode, we discuss what else we have been reading outside the book club. We share our favorite recent reads, from gripping crime fiction to captivating travel narratives. We explore how our reading habits have evolved over time and the impact of societal changes on literature. Whether you are looking for your next great read or simply want to explore the literary landscape with us, this episode is for you.

We invite you to share your thoughts and book recommendations with us at [email protected].

Books discussed:

London Falling — Patrick Radden Keefe — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238226991-london-falling

A Time of Gifts — Patrick Leigh Fermor — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/253984.A\_Time\_of\_Gifts

Between the Woods and the Water — Patrick Leigh Fermor — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/293207.Between\_the\_Woods\_and\_the\_Water

Crook Manifesto — Colson Whitehead — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61812836-crook-manifesto

Harlem Shuffle — Colson Whitehead — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/54626223-harlem-shuffle

Broken — Don Winslow — https://www.goodreads.com/work/editions/74667770-broken

Wide Sargasso Sea — Jean Rhys — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25622780-wide-sargasso-sea

Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58733693-remarkably-bright-creatures

Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments — Hema Sukumar — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/113324323-minor-disturbances-at-grand-life-apartments

David Copperfield — Charles Dickens — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58696.David\_Copperfield

Jane Eyre — Charlotte Brontë — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/10210.Jane\_Eyre

Americanah — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15796700-americanah

Butter — Asako Yuzuki — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/200776812-butter

Just Sayin': My Life in Words — Malorie Blackman — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61849724-just-sayin

Intermezzo — Sally Rooney — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/208931300-intermezzo

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage — Belle Burden — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/231108670-strangers

Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke — https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/238226942-yesteryear

#Literature, #ReadingHabits, #BookRecommendations, #BookClub

In this episode we are joined by Concia Alicia to discuss her debut novella Made from This.

Made From This is narrated by Simone, a British Caribbean counsellor who has spent twenty years helping other people understand their childhoods while carefully avoiding her own. Set across four generations of a Montserratian family, the book traces the damage and the love that move through families without anyone choosing to pass them on and asks whether any of us can look at that honestly enough to define a different legacy.

"It is not a sad book. It is not a happy book. It is a book of complications."

CONCIA ALICIA BIO

Concia Alicia is a Black British author of Montserratian origin, public servant, and elected councillor whose work navigates the intersection of community, legacy, and what it means to build something that lasts.

She is also the author of two children's books, Sasha's Special Nose and A Mighty Good Mix. Published in 2025. She lives in London and is working on her next book.

CONTACT AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: www.conciaalicia.com

Instagram: @conciaalbert

TikTok: @findingoutthings1

Buy Made From This on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1068445521

Email: [email protected]

We invite you to listen in, engage with us and share your thoughts at [email protected].

In this episode, we discuss Hisham Matar's poignant memoir, The Return, which explores the complex themes of grief, exile, and the search for truth against the backdrop of Libya's tumultuous history under Gaddafi. Matar's narrative oscillates between past and present as he recounts his quest to uncover the fate of his father, a political dissident who vanished into the regime's oppressive grasp.

We unpack the emotional weight of Matar's experiences and the lyrical beauty of his writing and discuss the implications of identity and belonging in a state of exile, the ethical responsibilities of memoirists in chronicling history, and the intricate dynamics of family relationships shaped by loss and trauma.

Tune in to discover how this memoir not only serves as a personal account but also as a powerful commentary on the broader socio-political landscape of Libya.

Send your thoughts to us at [email protected]

When two grieving fathers unite to hunt down their sons' killers, the real question isn't whether they will succeed. Can revenge ever truly heal the wounds that grief leaves behind?

In this episode we discuss S.A. Cosby's Razorblade Tears. The book follows two fathers from radically different backgrounds, one white and one Black, whose sons were murdered. Their quest for vengeance reveals uncomfortable truths about guilt, unresolved trauma, grief, tolerance and what it means to truly accept someone you love.

Listen to the full episode to hear every nuanced thread unpacked.

Send comments to [email protected]

What if we have been reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the wrong perspective?

In this episode, we discuss Percival Everett's James, a bold reimagining that gives Jim, the enslaved man, his own voice.

Everett does not simply retell Twain's narrative. He reveals Jim as a fully realised person with his own motivations, intelligence, and a relationship with Huck that is far more complex than we ever imagined.

In this conversation we explore code-switching and what purpose it served and continues to serve, race as a social construct, and how dehumanisation functioned as tools of systemic control. We also explore Everett’s sharp critique of white liberalism and his willingness to challenge persistent stereotypes about Black intellectualism.

We discuss how fear and psychological terror were slavery's primary control mechanisms, and how those same systems persist today.

Listen Now.

In this episode we examine how a woman's dream data, collected through an innocent sleep monitoring implant, becomes weaponised by government algorithms to detain her without cause. We unpack the Dream Hotel’s central warning: technology normalised today becomes tomorrow's tool of oppression.

We explore how smart glasses, social media monitoring, and surveillance systems operate with minimal accountability. We challenge why tech entrepreneurs hold unquestioned authority over our futures and discuss practical steps to reclaim personal data control.

In the latest episode, we discuss themes in the compelling collection of short stories, Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. The stories are a poignant exploration of migration, identity, and the complexities of cultural experiences faced by Ugandans in the diaspora. They are intricately woven, revealing the nuances of life as an immigrant and the challenges of reconciling one's past with their present.

If you’ve ever felt caught between two worlds, or you simply love a good story that tells it like it is, hit play. Drop us a comment, share the episode with #ManchesterHappened and keep the conversation rolling because the only thing better than a good book is a good debate.

We are kicking off the year by sharing our favourite reads from last year and having an honest chat about the quiet decline of reading culture, what still makes books magical, and how to make space for them again without pressure.

We talk about the books that surprised us, the ones we couldn’t put down, and what we’re hoping to read in 2026. More than that, we share simple, practical tips to help you fall back in love with reading (or finally get into it).

Whether you are a lifelong bookworm or someone who hasn’t finished a novel in years, this one’s for you.

Tune in for:

• Our top reads of the year (and why we loved them)

• Why reading feels harder now and how to make it easier

• How to build a reading habit that actually sticks

• What’s on our 2026 TBR pile

Grab a book. Or just hit play.

#TBR #ReadingHabits #BookLovers #NewYearNewBooks

In this episode, discuss the complexities of modern relationships through the lens of Diane Evans' novel, Ordinary People.

We explore how the characters' identities shift in the wake of their new roles as parents, the expectations placed upon them by society, and the impact of grief on their relationships.

We reflect on the ordinary moments that shape our lives, the dynamics of friendship, and how we process loss in a world that often demands we move on too quickly. Tune in for an engaging conversation on the complexities of love, loss, and the pursuit of happiness.

#OrdinaryPeople

#DianeEvans

#Parenthood

#Grief

#Relationships